Steven Andrews , Head of Collaboration Engineering, Acas
Steve joined Acas in 2016 and works in the Data team. He manages the internal collaboration platforms, including the intranet, Power Platform and several SharePoint communities. Outside of work, his hobbies include genealogy and history.
This month Acas turns 50, or to be precise, it's 50 years since the word 'Advisory' was added to our name. We'd previously been known as CAS, but this did not reflect our full range of services. Our birthday is significant, as it comes at a time when the government has made both worker protection and expanded rights key priorities. It also coincides with the launch of the new Acas strategy 2025 to 2030, which focuses on preventing, managing and resolving conflict.
We look forward to helping employers and workers navigate changes to workplace relations through our expert codes, guidance and advice. We can also take stock of where we come from and look at how our past has informed who we are today.
I work within the Acas Data function. Over the past year, I've edited an internal blog on the early days of Acas, where I've selected, researched and published various snippets from our formative years. Having spent time acting as an 'unofficial historian', I have seen how exploring our roots can show how employment relations have changed over time.
Industrial relations before Acas
Our first port of call is to understand what industrial relations looked like before Acas existed, as a specific sequence of events led to our set-up. On 28 February 1891, a Royal Commission on Labour was established by the Salisbury Government and was tasked with investigating the cause and resolution of industrial disputes. The commission's preference for representative boards to settle disagreements was reflected in the later Conciliation Act 1896. This led to the provision of the state's conciliation service, as the Act introduced powers that permitted the government of the day to appoint conciliators or initiate inquiries. These powers were further extended by the Industrial Courts Act 1919.
A positive system of industrial relations built on voluntary collective bargaining persisted until the mid-1950s. At this point, inflation and economic growth began to put pressure on the economy. Tensions also began to surface between local bargaining arrangements and broader, national negotiating agreements. The 1960s introduced further challenges. Unofficial strikes and stoppages increased, and judicial decisions caused trade union protections to be questioned. This led to increased political appetite for industrial reform.
Reports, parliamentary papers and legislation have explored how reform might be achieved. These included:
- the Donovan Report published in 1968
- the 'In Place of Strife' white paper published in 1969
- the Industrial Relations Act 1971
This only put further strain on the relationship between the government and the labour movement. The biography of Vic Feather, former General Secretary of the TUC describes the type of dispute the government was concerned about. He recounts that in 1968, 22 machine operators walked out of their factory after a worker from another union operated an oil supply valve. The subsequent disruption resulted in the dismissal of 5000 workers elsewhere in the supply chain. A court of enquiry later identified 56 stoppages that had occurred in the previous 18 months within the same factory.
Acas comes into being
The concept of an independent conciliation service first came about in the early 1970s. Jack Jones, General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), published an article in the February 1972 issue of New Statesman magazine. He claimed that an independent service was the only constructive alternative to the laws that had introduced a legal framework for handling disputes. The idea became established and was one of the measures outlined in the 'social contract' between the TUC and the Labour Party, which was contesting the first 1974 General Election.
Acas came into existence on 2 September 1974. This was initially in an administrative capacity, and later became law on 1 January 1976 when the first provisions of the Employment Relations Act 1975 were activated. Acas's first council was appointed in 1974 and had 10 members, including Jack Jones. The council took possession of various facilities from the Department of Employment. Under the Employment Protection Act 1975, it was authorised to:
- improve industrial relations
- encourage the extension of collective bargaining
- reform collective bargaining where necessary
Acas worked proactively towards these aims, but activity slowed after a new Conservative government took office in 1979. An early action by the new Employment Minister, James Prior, was the repeal of the statutory trade union process that Acas operated. In the years that followed, collective bargaining was de-emphasised from Acas’s statutory duties and the organisation transferred from the Department of Employment to the Department of Trade and Industry.
From industrial relations to employment relations
Up to this point, my narrative has leaned into 'industrial relations'. This phrase reflects the industrial landscape that gave rise to Acas, one where collective agreements and a reactive approach to disputes characterised management-workforce interactions. However, as Acas observed upon entering the new millennium, the nature of the 'working relationship' had transformed into a more individualistic, proactive and preventative approach.
Acas successfully moved towards an employment relations perspective following an internal 2001 review called 'Acas Today and Tomorrow', which outlined a broader concept for the organisation. The new direction sought to establish Acas's credentials as a source of advice and information. It also recognised that the experience and knowledge gained from resolving disputes could help to avoid them entirely. Over time, the repositioning of the Acas portfolio has enabled significant contributions to the social and economic agendas, as shown by our research.
Today, the world of work is rapidly changing. The rise of AI, changing attitudes to how and where work can be done, and a rise in sickness absence all have the potential to lead to workplace conflict. Conflict is not new, but we can take a new approach to managing it. Acas approaches this with 50 years of experience, which has helped inform our new strategy. Our strategy for 2025 to 2030 outlines how we can support organisations to prevent, manage and resolve conflict at the earliest possible stage. We look forward to continuing to support our partners and organisations across Great Britain for the next 50 years.